SEXUAL MORALITY
· Controversial issues: sex outside of marriage, artificial contraception, homosexuality, artificial insemination, genetic manipulation
· Mistaken Attitudes about Sex:
1. Hedonist – the aim is all about bodily pleasure, self-gratification and physical thrills
2. Prude – sex is considered nasty and degrading, an evil that saddles us. Private parts are considered bad and shameful
- Because sex is the handiwork of God, sex is by its nature something good, something sacred and holy. It is only when sex is torn from its holy framework of marriage and potential parenthood do evil enter in.
· VIRTUE OF CHASTITY: requires an integration of sexuality within his/her person and self-mastery and control of his/her passions (See CCC 2337 & CCC 2339)
· SEX EDUCATION
- The Holy Father John Paul II states in Familiaris Consortio: “The right and duty of parents to give education is essential since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational roles of others, on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others.”
“The Church is firmly opposed to an often widespread form of imparting sex information dissociated from moral principles.. . .Sex education, which is a basic right and duty of parents, must always be carried out under their attentive guidance whether at home or in educational centers chosen and controlled by them.” (Familiaris Consortio, 6, 37)
· SEXUAL GUIDELINES:
- Outside marriage: sex outside of marriage is a grave sin (See CCC 2390)
- Within marriage: the spouses do nothing evil in seeking the pleasure and enjoyment of sex but they should keep themselves within the limits of just moderation (See CCC 2362)
· SINS AGAINST CHASTITY
1. Fornication: carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman (CCC 2353)
2. Adultery: it violates the right of the other spouse, injures marriage bond and compromises the welfare of the children (See CCC 2381)
3. Masturbation: deriving sexual pleasure outside the marital act (See CCC 2352)
4. Pornography (See CCC 2354)
5. Prostitution (CCC 2355)
6. Rape (See CCC 2356)
7. Homosexual acts (See CCC 2357)
- Church’s stand on homosexuality: must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. There is nothing wrong in having homosexual desire or orientation. (See CCC 2358)
- Church’s stand on homosexual acts: What is sinful is acting out one’s homosexual desire i.e. engaging in homosexual act. It is intrinsically disordered. (Gen 19:4–5 & 12-13; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Rom.1:26-27; 1 Tim 1:9-10)
- Two (2) national organizations of homosexuals:
1. “Courage” – an organization to support each other to live in chastity
2. “Dignity” – an organization to promote justification and recognition of a homosexual lifestyle.
- Why marriage should only be between a man and a woman: (See Gen. 1:27-28 & Gen. 2:22-24)
· NINTH COMMANDMENT (See Mt. 5:27)
- The struggle against carnal covetousness entails purifying the heart and practicing temperance (See CCC 2517)
- Lust seeks the pleasure apart from the purpose (See CCC 2351)
- Coveting distinguished from Concupiscence (See CCC 2515)
- The 9th commandment forbids carnal concupiscence (CCC 2514)
- Purity requires modesty
Modesty is a virtue which moves a person to abstain from any actions, words, or looks which are likely to arouse the sexual appetite in oneself or in others.
(See CCC 2521 & CCC 2522)
· SINS AGAINST PROCREATION
1. Artificial Contraception (“Sex without babies): it is evil because it prevents an act of God
Artificial contraception is the deliberate attempt to suppress the procreative part of the sexual act. It includes the use of condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, birth-control pills, IUDs, products like depo-provera (injected drug that works like birth-control pills), norplant (similar to depo-provera but is implanted under the skin in the form of pellets) and RU-486 which actually abort the fetus but is being promoted as birth-control pills. It may also be in the form of sterilization i.e. tubal ligation and vasectomy.
See CCC 2366
- Regulation of procreation (See CCC 2368 & CCC 2370)
- Legitimate birth control through “Natural Family Planning: may take advantage of God’s naturally designed infertile periods
2. Artificial Insemination & Fertilization (“Babies without sex”)
- Heterologous artificial insemination (donation of sperm or ovum, surrogate uterus (See CCC 2376)
- Homologous artificial insemination (See CCC 2377)
- “Donum Vitae” – having a child is a gift, not a right
3. Genetic manipulation (See CCC 2275)
- it is a total perversion of procreation to produce “designer genes or to resort to human cloning
- fixing genetic flaws for therapeutic purposes is ok